Locomotive driven by steam and internal-combustion engines



Aug. 5 1924.

J. BUCHLI v LOCOMUTIVE DRIVEN BY STEAM AND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 11, 1923 FL [NVEXTOR A TTOR N E Y5 FWHHM DIWNTHMM 0 Patented Aug. 5, 192

UNHTEE @TATES JACOB BUCHLI, OF BADEN, SWITZERLAND.

LOGOMOTIVE DRIVEN BY STEAM AND INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed April 11, 1923. Serial No. 631,311.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAooB BUGHLI, a citizen of Switzerland, residing at Baden, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locomotives Driven by Steam and Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

In a locomotive driven by an internalcombustion engine it is known to utilize the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine for firing a steam boiler which atthe same time is fitted for independent firing. The engine supplied with steam from this boiler serves for taking the peak loads and can be used for starting the internalcombustion engine. In order to eliminate theweight of the strengthening pieces between the vertically or obliquely arranged cylinders of the internal-combustion engine and the crank bearings, these cylinders, as in the steam engines, have been arranged horizontally. All known locomotives of this type constructed up to the present have, however, the draw-back that only comparatively low-powered engines can be arranged on the locomotive and further that the turning moment is irregular and the. working cylinders and valves are very inaccessible.

The present invention consists in improving the construction of a locomotive driven partly by internal-combustion cylinders and partly by steam cylinders so as to make it possible to attain not only a large output, but also a uniform turning moment, and easy access to the Working cylinders and valves, thus producing a large internal-combustion engine which can be worked economically.

According to the present invention a group of at least four internal combustion cylinders is mounted substantially horizontal in a common frame. The cylinders are arranged oppositely in pairs and each 0pposing pair operates coupled drive axles through cranks which are similarly set. This arrangement results in the action of the opposing cylinders being effective at 180 with respect to each other and permits even turning moments under heavy load and also assures convenient accessibility to the working cylinders and valves.

As an example of the present invention a locomotive is shown in the drawing. 1 is a longitudinal section andFig. 2 a sectional plan through the axes of the cylinders. The boiler g is, contrary to standard locomotive practice, constructed without low-lying fire-box and grate, in order that the driving gear of the rear internal-combustion cylinder group may be arranged at that place. The steam boiler g is carried as usual on the frame F) and served from the drivers stand h. It has a device a for oil firing, but is, when possible, heated directly by the exhaust pipe is with the exhaust gases of the internal-combustion engine.

The fire-box is divided to correspond with the two types of firing in such a way that some of the flue tubes Z of the boiler are passed through only by the hot gases from the oil firing, and the other flue tubes only by the exhaust gases from the internal-combustion engine. The latter flue tubes terminate in aspecial blast-pipe 01 opening in the lower part of the smoke stack m, in order that the necessary draught may be obtained for the additional oil firing when working with the combined system, and also in order that the oil firing may not be disturbed by back-pressure'caused by the exhaust gases. Naturally the exhaust steam piping can also terminate in a blast-pipe, or in the same blast-pipe, in order that the necessary draught may be attained when working only with steam. It is also possible to produce the draughtby means of a separate fan.

The exhaust gases are introduced into the fire-box in such a way that the fire-brick 0, on the other side'of which the furnace oil is injected, will be heated by steam. In the oil-firing space a grate can be provided, thus allowing temporary heating by solid fuel.

At the front and at the back of the boiler 9 there is a group of internal-combustion cylinders or arranged, working on the driving axles 0 and which are coupled together; from the high-lying tank p oil flows automatically without a pump to these cylinders and to the fire-box. This arrangement makes it possible to obtain a practical construction allowing suitable dimensions for the crank bearings and crankshafts of a large internal-combustion steam engine. At the same time the arrangement ofiers the advantage of giving a uniform turning moment and easy access especially to the valve heads of the internal-combustion cylinders, By raising the rear part of the cab order to keep the weight of the locomotive as low as possible and to raise its efliciency.

In large internal-combustion steam locomotives there can be no question of adopting any other but two-cycle engines; scavengingair pumps must therefore also be fitted on the locomotive. These, together with the steam cylinders, will be conveniently distributed between the two groups of internal combustion cylinders in such a way that all 1 pistons of the locomotive work in balance.

In the example shown in the drawing, the two air-pump cylinders e are arranged on both sides of the back internal-combustion" cylinder group and the two steam cylinders d on both sides of the front internal-combustion cylinder group.

The cranks of the steam cylinders are set at 90 deg. to each other, as are also the cranks of the internal combustion cylinders in each group. In order to attain a favourable turning moment it is also convenient to displace the cranks of the steam cylinders relatively to those of the internal combustion cylinders.

Because of the practically horizontal arrangement of the internahcombustion cylinders, the shocks which are unavoidable from such cylinders run practically horizontally and bending stresses in the frame are therefore avoided.

A favourable arrangement for balancing the masses of all the pistons is, when, as shown in the drawing, either a steam cylinder or an air-pump cylinder is arranged at both sides of each internal-combustion cylinder group.

I claim:

1. A combined steam and internal-combustion locomotive, comprising a group of at least four internal-combustion cylinders arranged oppositely in pairs substantially horizontally in a common frame, each pair of opposed cylinders driving coupled drive axles through similarly set cranks, whereby even turning moments are assured under heavy load and the working cylinders and valves are conveniently accessible.

2. A combined internal-combustion and steam locomotive comprising in combination a'group of at least four internal-combustion engines mounted substantially horizontally in a common frame, each pair of opposed cylinders driving coupled drive axles through cranks set similarly, and fluid cylinders having cranks set at 90 to the cranks of the internal-combustion cylinders and so arranged that the sum of the turning moments of all cylinders results in a good'turm ing balance.

3. A combined internal-combustion and steam locomotive comprising in combination a group of at least four internal-combustion cylinders mounted substantially horizontally in a common frame, each pair of oppositely arranged cylinders driving coupled drive axles through cranks set similarly, a steam or scavenging pump cylinder arranged at each side of each set of internal-combustion cylinders and mounted in approximately the same horizontal plane as the set of internalcombustion cylinders.

4. A combined internal combustion. and steam locomotive comprising in combination a group of at least two internal combustion cylinders mounted substantially horizontally in a common frame, and fluid cylinders, said cylinders driving a drive axle through cranks similarly set at uniform mutual angles about said axle, whereby the distribution of the centrifugal forces due to said cranks about the radius of gyration of said axle results in a good running balance of said axle.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB BUCHLI.

Witnesses:

Aneusr Bnnee, H. S. KNOPFLI. 

